Where Are Skyrim Special Edition Saves Located?
Skyrim SE saves and INI files under Documents My Games on Windows.
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Skyrim SE keeps saves plus live INIs under Documents My Games. Ess files carry progress with prefs and main INI beside them. A custom INI layers overrides cleanly.
Game folder defaults are templates only. Proton prefixes mirror the same tree for Linux runners without native builds. Keep the My Games folder together.
Where Skyrim Special Edition stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves
Ess saves with co-saves beside. Live INIs plus custom override and renderer info in the same root. Game folder defaults are templates only. Proton mirrors for Linux.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Skyrim saves?
Copy the Saves folder with the game closed. Co-saves from script extenders travel beside ess files. Restoring means putting the folder back before launch.
Why do game folder INI edits do nothing?
Live files live only under My Games documents. Game folder defaults are templates the engine never reads. A custom INI overrides the main one without edits.
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